The bar was now silent.
Doors locked.
Blinds drawn.
I'd thought it so many times in the past but I had never seen the place as busy, as chaotic, as lively as it had been tonight.
Halloween had been too much of a clichΓ© to pass up on.
The vast majority of patrons dressed in elaborate costumes and disguise. Most living up to the clichΓ© itself, with many dressed in quickly cobbled together ensembles, whilst others chose far more elaborate costumes.
Steve had left on closing time accompanying a blonde in a short black dress coupled with fishnet tights and black knee high boots, her outfit had been simple, her makeup come face paint had been elaborate, daubing her face to look skeletal, akin to a Mexican 'day of the dead' skull, complete with roses embedded into her elaborately styled hair. I clung to the hope his powers of persuasion will be sufficient enough that she will be back at the flat with him by the time I arrived home.
I had promised Steve I would be home soon, the unspoken agreement we held on shared passions, on shared perversions had been acknowledged. My mind though was elsewhere, Steve could quite possibly keep his blonde I had other ideas.
She sat on the opposite side of the bar from me, on a high legged bar stool. Her eyes met mine over the rim of the tumbler of neat Irish Whisky that she sipped from. On the bar before her sat the half empty bottle and my own empty tumbler.
"Your eyes give you away." she offered with a wicked grin as she set down the tumbler and took a cigarette from the packet sat on the bar.
"Do they now?" I offered feigning indignation.
"You're far from subtle... in fact rarely anywhere near close to subtle," Shauna O'Neal offered as she took out a lighter that was tucked into her belt, her face briefly illuminated in the naked flame as she lit the cigarette before she exhaled a long plume of thick white smoke deliberately in my direction, her mischievous green eyes narrowing on suspicion as she did so,
Shauna wore no elaborate make up, no costume that disguised her appearance. She had not needed to. Shauna's simple yet effective attire had created enough of a spectacle.
I could not fully appreciate her from this side of the bar, with only her shoulders, the top of her chest and her arms visible. Shoulders, Chest and Arms all encased in a faux leather skintight material, a silver zip running from her neck through the centre of her chest. The tight material clinging to the shape of her breasts, enhancing them.
From the moment she had stepped into the bar this evening she had fuelled my fantasies, much as she no doubt triggered the fantasies of a hundred or more men within the cramped confines of the busy bar. I watched the lust in the eyes of others as she diligently worked hard all night long behind the bar. She always looked good but tonight she looked something else.
My mind was set.
"Criminal," had been Steve's appraisal as she had walked in accompanied by the sound of her spiked heels on the wooden floor, spiked heels of black knee-high boots that blended subtly into the skintight black leather all in one suit. A black wide leather belt the only other simple accessory to the outfit
I wasn't sure 'criminal' was the term I would use, I wasn't sure what term I would use to describe the breath taking appearance, her eye make up was dark which wasn't unusual for her, her black lipstick enhanced her pale complexion with her dark auburn hair scraped back off her face into a pony tail sat high on her head.
I'd watched her throughout the night, she had mesmerised me, I knew every inch of that body intimately. Her submission had been made on numerous occasions since her first fateful shift working at O'Leary's, but I had not known her submission for some time.
My focus had been elsewhere, preoccupied with my own little pet who lay locked away at this moment in cellar, along with one other girl. My new ever so convenient eager little pet whose very presence had resulted in a significant downturn in after hours activity at the end of long hard shifts.
"So my outfit has nothing to do with those brooding surly looks you've been throwing me all evening then Boss?" She gently teased before taking another long hard drag on the cigarette.
"You know me... Good little Catholic Boy I am..." I offer back to her, "...I can't lie even with my eyes."
She coughed as she exhaled, a cough that led to a delicious little chuckle.
"Good little Catholic Boy my ass," Shauna joked on her soft Irish accent, "You're certainly no fucking Pope."
"I'll say ten Hail Marys and three Our Fathers in the morning," I reply jovially rising to her insinuation.
Shauna finished her cigarette dropping the still smouldering butt to the floor of the bar, she shifted her body position then stood to stub the cigarette out under the sole of her pointed toe left boot.
Placing her arms extended on the bar either side of the tumblers and bottle of whisky she fixed me with a cold stare from her green eyes.
"Like I say your eyes give you away..." she repeated "...which makes me wonder what you are thinking?"
I let her question hang as my hand slips to a shelf under the bar for an item procured earlier. I fling the item to the bar before her. Shauna's eyes dart to the item, recognising it immediately and recognising the significance of my unspoken request.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me," was Shauna's immediate and honest response,
"I was just thinking..." I take my tumbler and drain it of its contents "...how great the mask would look with the rest of your outfit."
Shauna shook her head incredulously
"Not happening"
I feel my ire rise just a little, she has never turned me down previously. I narrow my own eyes now at her, contemplating her with unspoken thoughts.
"I said ....its not happening" she reiterates a little louder picking up on my obvious disdain as she throws only a cursory glance back to the mask that sits between us on the bar.
Locked away with me in the empty bar I briefly consider the dark possibilities and the brutal options by which I could make her switch her refusal to cooperate.
"Is that so" I coldly offer.?
"Go play in your basement if you want a convenient fuck," Shauna offers on a comment that is delivered harshly despite the mischievous little grin that creeps from those dark lips.
She was fully aware of the situation and circumstances of the cellar, Shauna had worked at O'Leary's far too long to not appreciate why the cellar was considered out of bounds for regular staff and was kept locked as a consequence. She knew full well that the regular cover story of flood damage was no genuine excuse even if other staff bought the concept of the reasoning. She was as compliant in her discretion as she was usually compliantly submissive.
Watching as Shauna swigs back heavily the remainder of her whisky, our intense gazes locked on one another
"Besides..." Shauna breaks the silence picking up the mask, "...Halloween is far too cliche to be playing out darkest desires."
She toys with the mask before me stretching it out between her delicate pale fingers. My mood mellows a little despite her deliberate tease.
"So, then....What is your darkest desire Miss O'Neal" I offer on pouring myself another whisky as she glances her eye-line towards mine with another wicked smile once again creeping to her lips.
"You'll need to ply with far more whisky before I reveal that little sordid thought."
Taking the open bottle I fill her empty tumbler with a generous measure of dark amber whisky, before offering.
"A price worth paying."
**********
From my vantage point in the shadows I watch my limited view of the street
A little before one thirty in the morning the street is dark the light glow of orange street lights from either end of the single lane narrow back street barely cast illumination the vantage point had been chosen for the heavy shadows that cast between the buildings that lined the street. The perfect vantage point. The kill zone.
I had locked up an hour or so ago, all of the staff had stayed behind for a quick round of drinks that had extended and become two rounds before I had shepherded them out around half an hour ago. Steve had headed home alone not long after the rest of the staff not interested or not intrigued enough to enquire on my plans for the remainder of the night,
I had watched Shauna hugging Ollie one of the new male members of staff as I had secured and locked the main doors whilst pulling down the blinds. Noting her flirtatious little giggle and the lingering hand on his forearm as they joked before heading away in separate directions.
Their brief interaction annoyed me, angered me. I fixated on it while checking I had secured the venue before heading out through the back door and setting the premises alarm. A pulse still throbbing in my temple as I resolve to let Ollie go, offering a surplus of staff as the excuse come reason for his impending dismissal.
There's a chill in the air now, that snaps me back into the moment as I stand with my back flat to the rough brick wall of the alley way.